Indiana RB Tevin Coleman NFL Draft Scouting Notebook

The 2015 NFL Draft class is stocked full of great young running backs, not the least of which is Indiana’s Tevin Coleman, one of the most explosive players at the position coming out this year.

Coleman is a 6-1 210 pound back out of Indiana who has the opportunity to be a first or second round pick, but because of the volume of running backs in this draft, I think teams will let him come to them rather than reaching a bit for a back. The possibility remains, and wouldn’t surprise anyone, if Coleman was picked by some team in the first round.

His combination of size, speed, toughness, and scheme versatility have piqued the interest of analysts, scouts, and NFL teams. This kid is clearly one of the best backs available and if he lasts past the first round, he’ll be a steal for some team.

He finished this past season with 2036 yards with 15 touchdowns, and added 25 receptions in the passing game. Coleman is a willing and able pass protector, but his obvious strength is running the football. Let’s take a look at what he does so well.

For me, I don’t really see a weakness in Coleman’s game as a running back. There are always things you can get better at, but he’s not really weak in one area. He is a violent, punishing runner on the inside when he needs/wants to be, but he’s also got incredible footwork and makes quick cuts when he’s running between the tackles. He is so elusive to make cuts and get past defensive linemen but then to also be able to cut back and make linebacker’s miss is a really special trait of his.

When Coleman gets into the open field — forget about it. You are not catching him. This is one reason why in a scheme with zone blocking concepts, he is going to thrive because if you get him to the edge and allow him to use his long speed, he is going to absolutely kill you.

If anything, Coleman needs to learn to be more patient in his running and wait for things to develop a little more, because he’s so eager to get down the field. I think that he could also improve a bit as a receiver, but again — that will come with time in the NFL.

This kid has everything you look for in a running back prospect. I can’t say that enough. At times, he will run too high, but it doesn’t always matter because he has such big, strong legs and keeps them driving through runs. What I love most about Coleman is his ability to hit the home run. He had so many 40-yard touchdown runs in college that watching his highlight tape is going to have fans of whatever team that drafts him absolutely drooling about his big play ability.

I see no reason why this guy won’t be a full-time starting NFL running back before too long. I don’t know if this is exactly what I see when I watch him, because I think Coleman is faster, but what we saw this past year from DeMarco Murray (a bigger back, runs violently) is somewhat what I think we can expect from Coleman. I’m not suggesting he’s going to lead the league in rushing his first year, but I think he runs similarly in terms of scheme versatility zone, power, gap…

Whatever team that drafts Coleman is getting an absolute stud.